1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of cooking equipment. More specifically the present invention relates to a fry basket with a disposable liner for retaining items to be cooked as well as loose particles of fried matter while the basket is immersed in heated cooking oil within a fryer vat. When a substantial quantity of fried matter particles have accumulated, the liner and retained matter are removed from the basket and discarded, and a new liner is fitted into the basket for further frying. In this way the fryer itself is kept clean during virtually indefinite use. The basket preferably includes a basket lid and handle with a trigger mechanism for opening the lid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been fry baskets for deep fryers which retain food items while they are immersed in heated oil. A problem with these prior baskets has been that they pass dislodged particles of fried matter such as batter into the fryer, so that these particles collect on the basket itself and on exposed fryer surfaces, making necessary periodic shut downs and difficult cleanings.
One prior attempt to solve this problem has been to taper the interior side walls of the fryer so that, at least in theory, particles abutting the walls slide down to a distant and narrow bottom wall where the oil is cooler. The cooler oil, again in theory, does not permit the particles to adhere firmly to fryer surfaces. Experience with these fryers has indicated that this approach simply does not work, and virtually the same cleaning frequency and effort is required.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a fry basket and liner apparatus such that the liner is formed of mesh sized to pass heated oil but to retain virtually all fried matter particles against passage into the fryer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus in which the liner is easy to install and to remove for disposal when heavily encrusted with fried matter particles.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus in which the basket has a handle and a hinged basket lid which is opened with a trigger mechanism mounted adjacent to the handle.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is sturdy and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.